Slightly radioactive Fukushima soil is used at Japanese prime minister's office to prove safety
TOKYO (AP) — Decontaminated but slightly radioactive soil from Fukushima was delivered Saturday to the Japanese prime minister's office to be reused in an effort to showcase its safety.
This is the first soil to be used, aside from experiments, since the 2011 nuclear disaster when the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant suffered a cataclysmic meltdown following an earthquake and tsunami that left large amounts of radioactive materials spewing out from the facility, polluting surrounding areas.
The government is desperate to set people's minds at ease about recycling the 14 million cubic meters of decontaminated soil, enough to fill 11 baseball stadiums, collected after massive clean-ups and stored at a sprawling outdoor facility near the Fukushima plant. Officials have pledged to find final disposal sites outside of Fukushima by 2045.
The Environment Ministry said the 2 cubic meters, now at Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's office complex in Tokyo, will be used as foundation material in one section of the lawn garden, based on the ministry's safety guidelines endorsed by the International Atomic Energy Agency. The soil does not include any from inside the plant.
Despite assurances, there has been much public unease. The government has already been forced to scrap a plan to experiment using some of the soil in flower beds at several public parks in and around Tokyo following protests.
Solve the daily Crossword
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shares in South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix tumble on US tariffs
SEOUL (Reuters) -Shares in South Korean chipmaker SK Hynix fell 3.1% in early Thursday trade, after President Donald Trump said the U.S. will impose a tariff of about 100% on chips. SK Hynix supplies Nvidia with chips called high-bandwidth memory used in artificial intelligence chipsets. Trump said on Wednesday the United States will impose a tariff of about 100% on semiconductors imported from countries not producing in the U.S. or planning to do so. But it would not apply to companies that had made a commitment to manufacture in the U.S. or were in the process of doing so. South Korea's trade envoy said on Thursday that SK Hynix and rival Samsung Electronics would not be subject to a 100% U.S. tariff on chips. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
21 minutes ago
- Bloomberg
Japan PM Ishiba Faces Key Test Friday in Bid to Stay in Power
Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba continues to face criticism and pressure to stand down from within his own party after a dismal showing in upper house elections last month. Still, Ishiba himself appears unfazed, refusing to budge from his post and saying he will 'not run away' from explaining his stance to those who are calling for his resignation.
CNBC
an hour ago
- CNBC
Asia markets set to open lower as investors weigh Trump's vow on fresh chip tariffs
Asia-Pacific markets are set to start the day lower, following U.S. President Donald Trump's vow to impose a 100% tariff on imports of semiconductors and chips to the U.S., but companies that are "building in the United States" will be exempted. Details such as how much a company needs to be manufacturing in the U.S. to qualify for the tariff exemption were not immediately clear. Good morning from Singapore. Investors will be keeping a close watch on chip stocks following U.S. President Donald Trump's vow to impose 100% tariffs on imported semiconductors and chips, unless they are made by companies "building in the United States." Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 was set to open lower, with the futures contract in Chicago at 40,785 while its counterpart in Osaka last traded at 40,790, against the index's last close of 40,794.86. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 24,903, pointing to a weaker open compared with the HSI's Wednesday close of 24,910.63. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was set to start the day lower with futures tied to the benchmark at 8,779, compared with its last close of 8,843.70. — Amala Balakrishner President Donald Trump said late Wednesday that he would slap a 100% duty on imports of semiconductors and chips – with an exception for companies that are "building in the United States." "We're going to be putting a very large tariff on chips and semiconductors," he said, speaking in the Oval Office on Wednesday afternoon. "But the good news for companies like Apple is if you're building in the United States or have committed to build, without question, committed to build in the United States, there will be no charge," Trump added. Shares of Apple advanced 3% in extended trading, fresh off a 5% gain in the regular session. Stock chart icon Apple shares in the past day – Kevin Breuninger, Darla Mercado All the three major averages finished with gains on Wednesday. The S&P 500 advanced 0.73% to finish at 6,345.06, while the Nasdaq Composite jumped 1.21%, closing at 21,169.42. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also rose 81.38 points, or 0.18%, to end the day at 44,193.12. — Sean Conlon
